Everything about Cozmic Pizza was a little different. Starting with the building, this 1945 property that had once been an Edsel car dealership was the perfect setting for good food and great music. Cozmic Pizza was so much more than just a pizza place!

While this is not the official website of Cozmic Pizza any more, their legacy lives on and their catchphrase ‘Forget wimpy pizza’ is one that will stick with anyone who ever visited this establishment.

An overview of Cozmic Pizza’s ethical values
Cozmic Pizza was set up by Kirk Giudici who was also the founder of Rising Moon Organics. Now you know that fact, then there’s no surprise that the food at Cozmic Pizza was all organic and locally sourced wherever possible. There was a huge respect for the environment at Cozmic Pizza and it showed through in many ways. From the food to the recyclable delivery boxes and even the wind powered electric pizza delivery vehicles.

The location of Cozmic Pizza
Cozmic Pizza could be found on the corner of 8th and Chanelton, just two blocks from the library and the bus station, in downtown Eugene Oregon. It was an impressive vintage building, you really couldn’t miss it. Being located so close to the bus station made it easy to visit even without a car, with music going on into the night, it was good to not take a car so you could enjoy a beer or glass of wine with your meal and with the entertainment.

A little about the pizzas at Cozmic
The pizzas at Cozmic Pizza could be eaten in the establishment and they were also available to take away and for delivery. So they were perfect for any occasion. If you fancied a night out, Cozmic was always a brilliant place to go. You could guarantee a fantastic night out with some brilliant entertainment. But, if you were passing and needed to get home, you could pick up a tasty meal to take back with you. If you didn’t feel like leaving the house, well you could simply have your pizza delivered to your door. They would happily bring you food in bulk, so it was also a great way to cater for a party or a corporate event. These pizzas won awards, and it is not surprising, they were out of this world!

The pizzas were Jersey-Eugene style made with Willamette Valley wheat crusts and cooked on stones heated to 600 degrees. The crusts were brushed with extra virgin olive oil, spread with organic tomato sauce and smothered in lots of cheeses! All the toppings were organic too. If you had an allergy to wheat, you didn’t need to miss out on Cozmic pizza, as they also offered a wheat free version too.

There were three different sizes of pizza available, so if you didn’t have a big appetite, or you wanted to share a pizza, there was always just the right one there for you. The small pizza was 8 inches in diameter, the medium was 12 inches and the large was a whopping 18 inches across. At lunchtime, you could also pick up a single slice. There were always specials and specialities available and the salads were delicious too. If you didn’t want a pizza overload, you could pick a smaller pizza and then fill up on a healthy and nutritious salad. All the flour for the pizzas and breads was actually ground on the premises and the meat was raised on local farms. Everything at Cozmic was organic and so very fresh.

Other food at Cozmic Pizza
While of course, the highlight of any visit to Cozmic Pizza was the pizzas themselves, there were also other items on the menu that you could sample if you fancied a change from pizza or felt like a lighter bite. There was always a tasty and hearty soup of the day that could be bought by the cup or the bowl. This was the perfect appetiser before eating a pizza for an entrée, or for a lunchtime meal that wouldn’t fill you up as much as the pizza. Ideal if you had to return to work and didn’t want to eat anything too heavy.

Then there were the Focaccias. Served in two styles, Cosmoknots, with a generous eight per portion and Fresco, a flat Focaccia. Both of these made for great snacks, or as a side dish to accompany a salad or pizza.

A space themed menu
With a name like Cozmic Pizza, you can instantly see why they went with a space themed menu, and it was a lot of fun. From the play on words ‘Cosmoknots’ for their Focaccia, to an artichoke salad named ‘Hearts of Space’. The theme ran throughout the menu. The pizzas of course also had space themed names such as Venus Florentine, Full Moon, Orion, Rings of Saturn and the super hot and spicy Solar Flare.

Make your own pizza
There wasn’t a huge number of pizzas on the menu, but while there was usually something to suit all tastes, if you didn’t want anything that was on offer, or you just fancied a change or had a craving for something in particular, then you could choose to put together a pizza of your own choosing. You could choose a medium or large pizza and then simply add whatever toppings you wanted from their extensive selection. You just paid a small fee for each topping. There were so many toppings to choose from, it was amazing. There were plenty of vegetarian options such as Tempeh, mushrooms, vegetarian meats, olives, apple and spinach to name just a few. They also had vegan cheese available. For meat eaters there were some real treats too, such as local sausage, Canadian bacon, grilled chicken and pepperoni. If you liked your pizza hot and spicy, then there were several different types of hot peppers to choose for your toppings. You could certainly make a pizza that would be hot enough to blow your socks off at Cozmic Pizza!

Hoppy Hour was not to be missed
Cozmic Pizza had their own version of happy hour which they called Hoppy Hour. In fact it was two hours, from 4pm until 6pm every single day. During this time you could try out some of Oregon’s best microbrews, or the Cozmic Pizza home made fountain sodas at really good prices. They also served some wonderful local wines.

There was always something going at Cozmic Pizza
There was never a dull moment at Cozmic Pizza, there was always something going on to amuse and entertain you. Music was top of the list with some amazing artists playing regularly, including 8 time Grammy winner Marcia Ball! You see it wasn’t just small local bands that played at Cozmic Pizza, the venue also attracted some big name acts. They also put on some great family nights. It was the variety of events though, that made Cozmic Pizza so special. So many venues like this stick to one particular type of event. Whether it’s a genre of music, or a regular quiz. At Cozmic, you never quite knew what they’d do next! They would often show films, the music acts covered just about every style of music, from world music to Jazz, rock and country. They even held a Pokemon tournament every Sunday! The entertainment was certainly eclectic!

Cozmic raised a lot of money for charities
With Cozmic having such great ethical standards with their food and business, it’s no surprise that they also played a huge part in raising money for non-profit organisations. Their events brought in massive crowds and so they were able to raise staggering sums every year, usually in the region of around $25K. They certainly made a difference within the local community, and beyond.

A great choice for vegans and vegetarians and other special diets
Cozmic Pizza was always very popular with vegans and vegetarians as everyone was catered for, regardless of dietary requirements. It was a great place to go with a large group, as everyone would be able to find something tasty that they could eat. There was vegan cheese available, and you could pick a wheat-free base if you were intolerant of wheat. The range of toppings for the pizzas was so wide that you could easily make a veggie pizza without having to compromise on taste or choice. If you were watching your weight and really didn’t want to eat a high calorie pizza, you could simply just have one slice, or you could opt for one the delicious salads. You never felt like a burden or a fussy eater at Cozmic Pizza. In fact, they encouraged you to let them know your own specific dietary requirements and they would ensure you got a tasty meal that was just perfect for you and your needs.